Till Truth Do Us Part
by Lady Elena Dawson
Summary: Aria has been acting strange since junior year started, and Alison might just figure it out. But can the truth kill? Ali never died and A never existed. Ezria.
1. Prologue: Friends for Life

**About this story:**

This story will mostly be an **Ezria** story with **Alison interference in their relationship**. In the summary I said **Alison never died** and that **there was no A**, BUT that **doesn't mean that won't happen in the future**. *wink wink* I decided to start this today, and I have a timeline written out for the majority of it. However, the kinks are still being worked out, so bear with me.

**Suggestions? Please leave them! Just no rude comments, please. Thank you!**

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**Till Truth Do Us Part**

**Prologue: Friends for Life**

**September, 2005**

It was the first day of school for Rosewood students. For all it was a new year, a new season, a fresh start. And for a small minority of them, it was the beginning of sixth grade.

By the time lunch came along, eleven-year-old Aria Montgomery had already given up finding anyway to spend the school year with. As usual, she sat alone at a table and observed her peers around her, flipped open her sketchbook, and drew.

What looked like average lines transformed into faces, and those faces were put on matching bodies, and those bodies were seated in the cafeteria. No one else followed her eclectic ways. In fact, despite having a younger brother she was close to, she was used to being a loner. Sometimes she even enjoyed it. Being weird made her different, and different made her special.

After finishing one sketch, she went on to another. This time her target was the table in front of her where a blonde girl sat, surrounded by three others who seemed to fawn over her.

While she was drawing, Aria didn't notice the preppy brunette poke the blonde in the ribs and point at her. Even when the blonde stood up and started toward her, Aria still didn't look up; she was struggling on getting the bone structure of the blonde's face right.

"Hello." Aria's hand froze and she looked up apprehensively. It was the blonde all right. "I'm Alison," she introduced herself.

"Aria." Aria wasn't sure what else to say.

"Would you like to sit with us?" She gestured to her table where the preppy brunette smiled and waved, the two other girls twisting their bodies so they could see who Alison was talking to.

Aria's mouth dropped open, and she had to remind herself to close it. The last friend she had was Holden, but he moved away almost three years ago. Since then her classmates made it a goal to never speak to her unless it was to ask for a piece of paper or to move aside in the hallway. But an invitation…. _This _was definitely new.

"Sure!" Aria chirped happily, and she tried not to look too excited as she joined the two girls opposite of the preppy brunette, who jutted out her hand formally.

"I'm Spencer," she said. Aria laughed anxiously as she took Spencer's hand and shook it.

"Hanna," piped up the other blonde girl, who was on the slight chubby side, sitting next to her.

"And I'm Emily." Aria recognized her from the swim team, and she smiled shyly as all eyes stared at her.

"Welcome to the club," Alison said. "Once a member, always a member."

To Aria, there was something wrong about that statement, something that made her skin prickle, but she pushed it aside because now she had _friends. _People she could share stories and have sleepovers with. Instead of going home to do her homework and finish her latest art project or dark mystery novel, she would go to their houses and watch TV while snacking on chips and gossiping about the latest rumors. It was too good to be true, yet it was.

Alison picked up her water bottle, which was met by Spencer's matching water bottle, Emily's Gatorade, and Hanna's juice box. They all looked at Aria patiently, and Aria scolded herself for not picking up on their ritual sooner. Fumbling with her thermos of hot chamomile tea, even her lunch wasn't lonely anymore.

"To a great year!" Alison preached, and the others all reiterated her words before bursting into giggles.

"To a great year," Aria said, more to herself as she watched them laugh uncontrollably.

They were going to be best friends for life. Aria could just feel it.


	2. Chapter 1: The First Day to a Great Year

**Till Truth Do Us Part**

**Chapter 1: The First Day to a Great Year**

**September, 2010**

The cool fabric of the printed dress whooshed over Aria's skin as she smoothed out the skirt and attempted zipping the back by herself. It was the first day of her junior year, and excitement grew in the deep pit of her stomach. She was two years away from graduating high school with her four best friends. Plus, she just had a feeling that this year was just going to be different…in a good way.

Labor Day weekend was especially pleasing for the last few depressing days of summer. Even now Aria couldn't help the smile from spreading across her face as she reminisced back to Saturday morning, full of sparks and idiomatic butterflies. At the sleepover that night, she'd arrived with a whisper of a secret on her lips, and as much as her friends begged and pleaded to spill the beans she quieted them by saying she _would _tell them…when and if the time was right.

Then there had been Alison. While Spencer, Hanna, and Emily were practically ready to kiss Aria's feet, Alison just sat across from them, motionless, one corner of her mouth twisted up in her infamous smirk. It said _I bet I can find it out without you saying a word,_ and truthfully it always made Aria queasy.

"Were you with Noel?" Hanna had squealed, receiving a dumbfounded shove from Aria. "Hanna!" Aria shrieked. "We've been over this. Noel was _so _seventh grade."

"Really, Aria?" Alison had spoken up for the first time. An odd shiver ran up Aria's spine. "I thought you were into him last _week_."

"So this _is_ about a boy!" Emily declared, and Spencer exclaimed, "I knew it!"

"Guys, guys… Quiet down," Aria ordered, though she couldn't keep herself from laughing at her friends' exuberant behavior. "I _will _tell you…just not now."

A chorus of disappointed moans bounced off the walls of Spencer's barn, and Aria met Alison's clear blue eyes that had always been unreadable since the moment she met her. The expression hadn't changed from her face, and a cold, uneasy sensation churned in Aria's stomach as Alison dropped one eyelid down in a knowing wink.

The memory caused all traces of giddiness to dissipate, and Aria stared at herself in the mirror. She was still the same girl she'd always been, only sixteen, not eleven. Yet why did she feel so…different? Like someone was watching her? After Holden left, she never had to worry about people giving her weirded-out faces or you-don't-belong-here glares, but ever since she entered the door marked "Alison's Posse," her along with Alison and the others were Rosewood's "It" girls.

Even though Hanna was fat, Spencer was a geek, Emily was shy, and Aria was eclectic, they were still popular. And all because of Alison.

Sighing deeply, Aria blinked away her thoughts and approved of her reflection. She was in the midst of shrugging on a black jacket when her mom knocked on the door. "Honey, Alison's here to walk to school," she explained, and Aria replied, "Let her in."

"Who's ready to dominate the school year?"

Aria scoffed while shoving two novels in her book bag, and she turned her head towards the doorway. "Don't we dominate every year?" she joked, heading off to her dresser to grab a pair of funky earrings.

"Of course, but this year just feels…different," Alison explained and took a deep breath. "I can almost smell it in the air!"

There was something about Alison that was off, Aria noticed. Her looks were the same—soft blonde curls, crystal blue eyes, heart-shaped face, fashionable clothes, lean body—but her aura led Aria to believe that something good had happened.

Alison walked up behind Aria and smiled at her reflection, picking up a lock of Aria's straightened hair. "I'm so glad you got rid of those tacky pink streaks," Alison sighed. "Your hair is so much more beautiful without them."

"Thanks, Ali," Aria said, used to the mean-yet-complimentary comments of Alison DiLaurentis.

"Well?" Ali piped up once Aria finally finished her outfit. "Ready to go?"

"As ready as I'll ever be." With that, Aria shoved her bag on one shoulder and followed Alison out of the house—and Alison was right: the air _did _smell like something she couldn't place.

"How was the rest of your weekend?" Alison asked as they started their ten-minute walk to the high school.

"Boring. Sunday's always left for family night. And Monday everyone was busy, so I just stayed at home and watched some movies."

"Let me guess: the old kind you love so much?"

"Nothing else," Aria kidded. Licking her lips, she rounded up the strength and blurted out, "How was your weekend, Ali?"

Immediately Alison sensed the tension in Aria's voice with her Alison intuition. "Fine. I stayed home too."

"Really?" Aria asked, obviously not convinced.

The two had reached the school and Alison stopped. Aria instantly regretted saying anything; Alison's murder face made Aria shake like a weak leaf. But as the years went on, Aria adapted to shrouding her weaknesses, especially when it came to Alison.

"Did you really stay home all weekend?" Alison inquired, referring to the secret Aria refused to tell Saturday night.

"Yes," Aria said sternly. Inside she prayed that her posture and eyes showed enough confidence in her answer.

"Hey Alison, Aria!" The duo with their heads in a headlock snapped out of their bubble of confrontation and was met by Spencer, Hanna, and Emily.

"Hey, guys," Aria greeted them. All traces of anything serious happening before were wiped off of Aria's face.

Hanna took Aria's arm in hers and started leading her into the school. "Can you _believe_ we're juniors?" she squealed in obvious anticipation. "I just have a feeling it's going to be _amazing_!"

"You too?" Aria scoffed. It seemed like _everyone _had that feeling, but probably not for the same reasons Aria did.

"Yeah! Why, does your hunk from the weekend make you feel that way?" Hanna prodded, and Aria rolled her eyes in response. Out of all the girls, Hanna just wouldn't let it go. And she hadn't even confirmed anything.

"If there was a boy from the weekend," Aria replied coolly, smirking at Hanna. The two girls dissolved into giggles. "God, I feel like we never left junior high!"

"I know! There's just something about the new school year that makes me, like, ten years younger!" They were nearing the entrance when Hanna stopped her abruptly. "Wait!" she hissed.

"What?" Aria, confused, studied her surroundings for any signs of something bad happening.

"There's Sean!" Hanna whispered, pointing at the cute golden boy a few feet away. "Is he looking this way?"

Aria tilted her head and stared a bit longer at Sean. "No."

"Good! Tell me how great I look." Over the summer Hanna had become serious about losing weight, and Aria barely recognized her now. In fact, the new Hanna reminded Aria a lot of…Alison. All the girls knew how much Hanna worshipped Alison: her looks, her personality, her popularity. Now that she looked like Alison, Aria hoped she wouldn't borrow Alison's brutal ways. But she'd never pointed it out in fear of hurting Hanna's feelings.

Instead, Aria replaced the concern on her face with a proud grin. "You look fabulous, Han."

Hanna squealed some more, close enough to grabbing Aria's hands and jumping up and down like a little girl at Christmas. "Good! Now, let's just stand here nonchalantly and let whatever happen."

Aria laughed as her friend straightened her back, flipped her glistening hair over her shoulder, and pretended to be interested in the sky. "Okay, Hanna, let's go."

Out of nowhere, Alison appeared next to them with Emily and Spencer close behind. "Yeah, Han. Standing leads to Hefty Hanna." Mortified, Aria squeezed Hanna's hand comfortingly. Hanna just gulped back her tears and smiled weakly at Aria.

Inside the school and among the hustle and bustle, Aria leaned over to Hanna and said under her breath, "Don't listen to her, Han. You're better than that."

In the beginning Alison was really sweet, but over the years something clicked and she started making harsh comments to all her friends whenever she felt like it. She always said that she was toughening them up for life, like a real friend, but someone always ended up hurt instead of hardened. Aria had been the only one used to brute remarks being said about her that Alison's rarely made her flinch; she still was the only one. So obviously Alison's "techniques" weren't working.

Hanna heard what Aria said but pretended not to hear her. Instead, she cleared her throat and held her head up high. "So, I heard the new English teacher is _really _hot!"

"Really?" Aria exaggerated sarcastically, pretending like she didn't hear the same rumors before school started. Hanna sighed dreamily.

"Fresh out of college, which makes him young… When was the last time we had a teacher like that? Mrs. Konchar in first grade?"

Aria laughed and poked Hanna in the ribs with her elbow. "Some young male blood to liven up the female students," she joked.

"You sound like a writer!" Hanna teased.

But then Alison got into the way.

"Hot new teacher, ladies? I wouldn't be surprised if he lost his job on the first day," she intervened, causing Hanna and Aria even more reason to worry. Sometimes Alison just wasn't practical, and it was a cause for concern when it came to destroying other people.

"What do you mean?" Hanna asked while laughing weakly.

"I bet if I flirt with him, I'll get him to kiss me." She stopped in the hallway and faced her two followers. "Want to bet on that?"

"We don't even know what he looks like…," Hanna trailed off.

Aria glared at Alison. Though she never challenged her, she would certainly give her hints. "We should get to class." With that, Aria pulled on Hanna and squeezed past Alison, who only sneered at their fear of adventure.

"First period English. What a great start to the day," Aria gushed once they entered the cool classroom. Most of the class was already inside, along with Spencer and Emily who they made their way towards.

"Um, talk about a _boring _start," Hanna corrected, taking the seat behind Emily. Aria plunked herself right next to her, behind Spencer.

"Did you guys hear about the new teacher?" Emily prattled, and Aria and Hanna tensed when Alison claimed the seat in front of Emily.

Ali slid into their conversation. "Course they have, Em." She stared at Aria. "In fact, Aria and I made a bet."

"W-we did?" she stammered.

That renowned smirk again. "Yes, we did. Whoever gets the new teacher to slip up wins fifty bucks."

"Ali," Spencer warned. "He could lose his job."

The bell rang, and they sat down. "Lighten up, Spence," Ali sighed while readjusting her dress and hair. "We're just going to have a bit of fun."

Sinking back into her chair, Aria felt like she'd swallowed a lead weight. No way was she going to hit on a teacher. It was best if she started ponying up the fifty dollars now.

The door slammed shut, but Aria kept her eyes trained on the notebook she'd placed on her desk. She could practically picture the sneer on Ali's face, making her shudder. It hadn't even been five minutes and already she was getting wound up. So she thought of her weekend, of those blue eyes, and of their afternoon together, and let the memories relax her.

That's when she heard the two words uttered ("Holy crap") and had to look up.

On the board was the name "Mr. Fitz." In front of it was an average guy starting his first teaching job. Or so he was average to everyone but Aria.

Alison spun around in her chair and raised an eyebrow, teasing, "Did you sleep with the teacher _already_?"

But the moment was over as quickly as it started, and neither Aria nor Mr. Fitz offered an explanation. Instead he cleared his throat and introduced himself. "I'm Mr. Fitz, your new English teacher."

His eyes met Aria's again, and she couldn't believe it. It was _him._ And no one knew about it except for her…and Alison, if she got her way.

Oh, wait. Alison _always _got her way.

_Kill. Me. Now._


	3. Chapter 2: Keep Up the Lying Game

**Thank you for the supportive reviews! To answer a few:**

**EzriaFreak: Oh, but I keep up with that story of yours. ;) Waiting for an update from you!**

**guest: All the girls, as in all five? Possibly...but I can always change my mind. If I gave you the answer, that would ruin the story!**

**Sleepoversat3B: I'm glad you're enjoying it so far! Be prepared, for it's going to get juicy!**

**Silver-Infinite: You're welcome! It would've been pointless to write if Alison was dead. We already know how that pans out because of the show.**

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**Till Death Do Us Part**

**Chapter 2: Keep Up the Lying Game**

When the bell rung indicating the end of class, the sound reverberated in Aria's ears. The whole time Mr. Fitz had been lecturing about the new school year, appearing just as confused and stunned as she was, Aria had been staring blankly at her notebook: lost, but mostly shocked that she hadn't put the pieces together before.

While Aria was off in her own world, Spencer, Hanna, Emily, and Ali were packing up their stuff and whispering nasty things about Mr. Fitz. Eventually returning to planet Earth, Aria's face blushed when she heard Ali make a comment about his toned-looking biceps. The four of them stood up and mushed themselves in a pack, whispering and giggling on their way to the door. Awkwardly Aria stood up to follow them, a bit faster than she should've, bumped her knee on the desk, and received concerned turns from her friends. "You coming, Aria?" Ali asked, but there a catch in her face that made Aria's eyelid flinch.

"Yeah, in a minute. I just have a question about the curriculum," Aria responded. She tried to wave off the obvious alarm she must've had written all over her features. Confused, her friends walked out into the bustling hallway. But Ali stayed just long enough for Aria to see the I-know-what-you've-done look she's had perfected since the seventh grade.

Once everyone was gone, Aria opened her mouth to say something. Instead of words, there was no sound; her throat had gone dry. Swallowing, she moved her eyes back to Mr. Fitz, who was casually erasing the board. By the glossiness of his eyes, she knew he knew she was there.

"Ezra," she spoke up, and his shoulders tensed. "We need to talk."

Frozen, Ezra cleared his throat uncomfortably and dropped his hand holding the eraser, plopping it on his desk while turning to face her. "Yes, we do."

A heavy silence filled the air, threatening to suffocate the two. "I don't know what to say," Aria admitted honestly and shifted her gaze to the floor. Neither could look at the other.

"Me neither," Ezra also confessed. "I've never been in a situation like this before."

"I think very few people have," Aria tried to joke, but her laugh came out weak and unconvincing.

Ezra shoved his hands in his pockets, parted his lips, and stared directly into her eyes, the soft blue color melting Aria in the spot. "Listen, Aria," he commenced. "You're amazing. But…I don't think we should go on that next date anytime soon."

Disappointed, Aria's stomach dropped to her feet. "Oh," she muttered. "Of course not. That would be…illegal."

"So, do we understand?" he asked, hesitant.

Aria took a moment to just stare into his ocean eyes, at his ruffled black curls and appealing choice of teacher wear. "Yes," she finally spoke, though saying that word made her crumble. "We do. I'll pretend like I don't know you and you'll do the same to me." Sighing, she bit her bottom lip to halt the brimming tears.

"Yeah," he croaked. The two just stood frozen in their spots, staring at each other, both obviously tortured souls.

"See you tomorrow in class." With that, Aria dismissed herself and fled down the hallway, promptly locking herself up in a bathroom stall so that she could sob without anyone knowing why.

…

_The little bells on the door jingled as Aria opened it, entering the musky-smelling bookstore. Instantly her feelings were heightened with excitement and fascination. It was the reason she loved this little place so much._

_The dutiful girl she was, she punctually marched to the classic section and started her search for _To Kill a Mockingbird_. Her dad had an old, beat-up copy, but Aria wanted one of her own to enjoy and reuse until the crisp pages had yellowed and the corners had bent. It was only her and a young man in the aisle._

_Out of habit her finger trailed the spines of each book, helping her concentrate on the authors. Right when she was nearing Lee, her finger halted before it collided with another larger, much more masculine one._

_Blinking, Aria looked to see the man whose index finger had nearly crashed into hers. Her mouth would've dropped open if he hadn't been openly staring at her already. His soulful eyes, black curls, and nice jawline—Aria couldn't help but do a double-take._

_With his free hand he pointed at the only copy of Harper Lee's novel, a handsome, boyish grin making Aria shudder. "_To Kill a Mockingbird_?" he asked._

_Once she was able to unfreeze, Aria nodded and chuckled to herself. "Yeah, it's one of my favorites."_

_"Huh," the man said, intrigued. "Me too."_

_"Really?" Aria raised an eyebrow. _

_The man's forehead crinkled between his eyebrows. "Is that so hard to believe?"_

_"No, it's just," Aria stammered, "most guys I see here have the nerdy glasses, so…"_

_"Ah," the man gasped in realization. "So I'm the new guy invading tribal territory."_

_Aria began to laugh, but stopped after a snort. Blushing, she coughed to cover it up. "Oh, no. I come here a lot, so I know the usual crowd." Without realizing, her finger slid forward and touched his._

_For the second their skin touched, it was like what they said in the movies: sparks flew, and an unusual electric shock zapped Aria and scared her enough to pull away with a gasp. The man seemed to notice, too, and concealed it by giving her his hand._

_"Ezra," he presented himself. When Aria took his hand, the sparks recommenced. _

_"Aria," she replied, not letting go; neither did he. But right when they realized their warm, igniting palms were touching longer than usual, they jerked apart._

_"You can have the book," Ezra offered as his face reddened._

_Smiling, Aria slid it off the shelf. "Thank you," she said sweetly, and began to walk past him hoping he'd keep talking._

_And he did. "Hey, you'll have to let me borrow that when you're done." Bull's-eye._

_A smirk on her lips, she turned around. "Oh yeah?" She switched the book to her other hand. "When?"_

_"On a date." Cringing, he scoffed. "Was that too cheesy?"_

_"Yes," she laughed. "But it was cute."_

_"So, is that a…yes?" Nervously he rubbed the back of his neck while a playful Aria pretended to think and keep him on his toes._

_A few wretched moments later the silence was broken. "It's official. Let's call it a date." Glancing at her watch, she checked the time. "In fact, I have some time to kill. Want to grab a coffee?"_

_"Coffee's my middle name!" he kidded, and Aria attempted to contain her laughter._

_While she placed the book on the check-out counter, she further teased, "That's funny, because that's my middle name, too."_

_"It's fate then." The two lost themselves in each other's eyes for that moment._

_"Miss?" Aria was shaken out of her dreamlike state. "Seven dollars."_

_"Oh," Aria muttered and riffled through her purse, face burning. "Right."_

_On their way to the Brew, Aria played the question game. "How long have you been in Rosewood?"_

_"Well, I just graduated from Hollis. I'm going to start my first teaching job," he stated proudly._

_"Wow. That sounds exciting."_

_"As long as I don't make a fool of myself."_

_"Oh, you'll be fine," Aria reassured him. The conversation relapsed._

_"What's your major?" All the color drained out of Aria's head. _Oh my God, he thinks I'm in college.

_"Uh, I'm thinking about English," Aria stammered. "I'm assuming that's what you're teaching. Not many young men go to bookstores these days."_

_"You assume correctly." He chuckled to himself. "Man, you're smart."_

_"Thank you," Aria said as they stopped in front of the Brew. Pushing open the door with her back, she smirked deviously up at him. "I bet I can guess your coffee order, too."_

_"You're on."_

_The rest of their morning and most of their afternoon was spent talking and laughing under an umbrella, sitting at an outdoor table drinking coffee. Later that day, as the sun started to set, casting yellow and orange hues in the Rosewood sky, Aria made the first move, and Ezra didn't object. Their lips met in a small, sweet kiss that left Aria feeling on fire. There was nothing so perfect in her life._

…

By the time lunch hit, Aria was exhausted. She was only halfway through her first school day and she just wanted to go home, crawl under her sheets, and never go out. For God's sake, she'd kissed her sweet, rumpled, attractive English teacher! As she set her lunch bag down at their usual table, all she could repeat in her head was _Stupid, stupid, stupid._

"Ugh, Mrs. Welch's class was _excruciating,_" Spencer whined as her and Emily sat down across from Aria. "Didn't you think so, Aria?"

_Stupid. _"Oh. Yeah. Mhmm." To stop herself from talking, she stuffed a large lettuce leaf from her salad in her mouth. After learning that meat was animal muscle, she became a vegetarian at the early age of four. Though she tolerated other people for enjoying their beef and chicken, she couldn't help but be disgusted in her head. _Animals,_ she would always think of boys who chomped on their steak.

"What's got you so quiet?" Alison asked as she sauntered up out of nowhere and delicately plopped down next to Aria.

"I just didn't sleep well last night," Aria lied bluntly, and Alison's blue eyes burnt holes into Aria's.

"Having nasty dreams about Mr. Fitz?" she teased, though there was something about her tone that made Aria question if Alison knew.

Flabbergasted, Aria almost spit out her salad. "Of course not! I didn't even know he existed until today."

"Doesn't mean he couldn't have made an appearance. The mind is a powerful thing." It was typical Ali weirdness. One moment, she was insulting and cruel, and the next she was saying philosophical life quotes that didn't match her other personality. And Alison had plenty of those. "Did you make a start on our bet?"

"No, Ali," Aria scoffed, but inside she felt terribly weak. She wasn't up for a challenge against Alison DiLaurentis today when her life was spinning out of control. "I'm not doing that, okay?" Then she mumbled under her breath, "Stuff like that could ruin his life."

"God, Aria," Alison complained. "Take a chill pill. I just want to make our junior year the best one yet."

The table lapsed into an awkward silence until shattered by Hanna. "What did Mr. Fitz say?" she asked, eyes wide with curiosity.

Aria poked at her salad and masked her emotions as best as she could. "Nothing," she forced out of her mouth. The lies tumbled out one right after the other. "Nothing at all."

…

Before bed that night, Aria stayed up scribbling furiously into her journal. From Ali to Ezra, she scrawled out all the pain and confusion and poured out her heart for four pages. The tears built up and splashed on the paper, seeping through and staining it so that it wrinkled and smudged the precise blue lines.

_I don't get Ali,_ she wrote, only pausing to wipe her dripping nose with her pajama sleeve. _She was my first best friend after a long time, but she treats us all like we're nothing, like she's the only human being on this planet. Everything is a game to her. Sometimes I think there's something wrong with her head, or her heart._

_ Two years ago after my parents divorced, Ali had been my shoulder to cry on. She was there when I found my dad kissing someone else. She convinced me to tell my mom, but my dad did instead. By the time I got home, he was gone, and my mom was a mess on the couch. And the whole time Mom got back up on her feet again, Ali was there: kind, gentle, assuring Ali. Not this hard, cold-blooded monster._

The topic of her old friend and parents' split was overwhelming, so Aria switched to another heart-breaking subject.

_I thought Ezra could've been "the one," _she confessed. _We had such a connection, and it's still there, I can feel it; and I know he can too. Just the way we were looking at each other today…we were so disappointed. He didn't bring it up, but he was probably upset that I didn't tell him I was still in high school. There's nothing that can be done about it now._

_This can't get out, not to anyone. Not my friends, and especially not Ali. The way she's been looking at me since Saturday's sleepover has me wondering if she might have a clue. But she can't know the truth, because Ezra and I are the only ones who know._

_And it has to stay that way. No matter how much the lying hurts, and even if it kills me._

_No one can know about Ezra Fitz._


	4. Chapter 3: Secrets Unraveled

**A/N: Alas, school has started, and the busy work has begun. I'll only have time to update on weekends, but I promise that this story is one of the ones I'll be updating more frequently next to "The Silence of the A"! I hope you enjoy this chapter. Last chapter was an Ezria flashback, now it's time to relive some Ali flashbacks...and if you like Noel, he's in here, too. **

**Mia: Yes, I am in control, and I promise that drama will ensue! :)**

**Brittana4ever: Haha, I can totally see Alison say that! And don't worry, she'll definitely be sneaky on our two lovebirds...whose relationship, may I say, is not as slow as you might think! **

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**Till Truth Do Us Part**

**Chapter 3: Secrets Unraveled**

At school the next day, Aria slipped into English class and slumped at her desk. She was exhausted after a bad night's rest, tossing and turning from her emotional turmoil. First she'd stressed herself out with horrible thoughts of Ali finding out about Ezra and forever teasing her about it, and then she'd worn out her heart with memories of Ezra's touch, and the way her heart thudded so innocently the day she met him.

Alison strolled into the room with the others soon after Aria had plopped at her desk, hand pressed on cheek. When Alison noticed Aria's tired slouch, she crinkled her nose in disgust. "You look horrible, sweetie!"

"Yeah, Aria," Spencer agreed while sitting down in front of Aria, her eyes wide with concern. "Are you okay?"

"I'm fine," Aria snapped.

"Is this about something?" Ali asked, a twinge of a smirk on her face. "Maybe…a boy?"

"I knew it!" Hanna squealed. "This _is _about Noel Kahn! He so asked you out, didn't he?"

Eyes popping out, Aria's mouth dropped open like a lead weight. "No!" she yelled, and Emily raised her eyebrows in apprehension at Aria's answer. "This is definitely not about Noel." Suddenly, a thought occurred to her. "Wait…why would _Noel_ ask me out?"

Hanna, Emily, and Spencer couldn't look Aria in the eye, so instead they gazed up at their queen bee. Alison flipped her blonde curls off her shoulder, something she did when she was expecting a _huge_ thank you, to the point that the person had to kiss her feet in gratitude. _This doesn't look good. _"I mighthave mentioned something good about you to Noel Kahn, and he might have said that he was going to ask you out as soon as he could!"

Again, Aria's lips parted in shock, and she scoffed and shook her head. "Ali," she said. She wanted it to sound like a warning, but instead the words rolling off her tongue felt weak and gooey in her mouth, like silly putty. "Why would you do that?"

"What's the big deal?" Alison inspected her perfect manicure. "Haven't you been crushing on him for years, Aria?"

Right when Ali's eyes met Aria's again, Aria had done the unforgivable: She'd let her true emotions reflect in her eyes for a measly second, and Alison had detected it when Aria thought she wasn't looking. A sickly sweet smile spread on her lips, the same one Ali always had that Aria was surprised it wasn't plastered to her face. "Oh. I know what this is about."

Squirming in her seat, Aria anxiously pulled on her sweater sleeve. "No, you don't, Ali," she said as heroically as she could.

Just then the bell rang, and Ezra entered the room, all neat and tidy as usual. Aria's eyes flickered to their teacher, mixed emotions mingling in her irises—longing, hurt, a kind of admiration—and of course Alison picked up on it straight away. By the time Aria knew that she was staring abnormally at her English teacher, Alison had already twisted around in her seat to face the front of the classroom, well-informed.

This was it. Alison was going to pin her to the wall and taunt her for the rest of her life that she'd just repeated her father's mistake.

Her heart felt like it'd been punched, bringing up that secret. She could still remember her and Alison laughing, turning the corner of the alleyway, and seeing her dad with someone who wasn't her mom. It'd turned out that Meredith was his student…and the next day, Byron was gone.

Aria had always assumed that Byron had told Ella about the affair, afraid that she would find out through their daughter. Of course Aria didn't have the courage to tell her that, but it'd gotten out anyway. The next few weeks led her brother, Mike, into a depression, and Aria found herself clinging on to any bit of happiness outside of the home she could find. That included Noel Kahn.

Back in middle school, Noel never noticed her. She couldn't recount how many times she'd sketched his face over and over again. Her sketchpad was a close second to her journal, and no one, not even Alison, asked about it.

But then Alison had the courage, and in seventh grade she'd snagged Aria's sketchbook when she wasn't expecting it and flipped through it menacingly.

Once she'd reached the drawings of Noel's eyes, profile, smile, and whatever, Alison had flaunted it over her head as Aria hopelessly attempted to grab it back. At that time, Alison was a giant compared to tiny Aria, and she still was. Thank God it was at a sleepover and not school, because the only people who saw Aria's secret crush were Spencer, Emily, and Hanna.

"_Oh!" all the girls screamed when Alison threw her head back in laughter and showed the rest of them. Burning red, Aria was able to reach it only when Alison's arm had become exhausted from her amusement, and it was shocking how quickly her mood shifted. Immediately she felt like running home, except home was a disaster area still. If she didn't have her friends on her side, then she had nowhere to go for comfort._

"_Aria likes Noel! Aria likes Noel!" Hanna singsonged on repeat as Spencer and Emily collapsed on each other in their giggle fest. And Aria, lacking the energy she'd been using up on keeping her home life together, let them taunt her like that for a whopping ten minutes._

_While the rest of the girls began to calm down, Alison leaned over and whispered in Aria's ear, "You know, if you want Noel, I can get him for you."_

_Aria's eyes widened at the idea of Noel noticing her, the artsy whacko with the crazy pink hair. "Really?"_

"_Mhmm!" she hummed. She elbowed Aria in the ribs, where her sketchbook was being clutched protectively. "I'll make it happen."_

_And whatever Alison said—it went._

_..._

_It was a party night, and Alison claimed the high schoolers had the most fun compared to the dreary, "boring" middle schoolers. Alison being Alison, she convinced the others to join her. She had exclusive access because her brother Jason was a senior, and Aria was all on board because Noel was going to be there._

_In fact, he was waiting for Aria when they arrived, courtesy of Jason. "Hello, Aria," he said with his huge, overwhelming grin. "Can I get you a drink?"_

_Aria's legs felt like jelly. She couldn't believe that Noel Kahn was speaking to her, that he knew her name! "S-sure," she stammered, giggling weakly as she took his arm._

"_So, I heard you like Britney Spears," he said as they maneuvered around loud, obnoxious seniors. Aria couldn't pry her eyes from their interlocked hands. "Kind of old school, isn't she?"_

"_Um, yeah!" Aria chimed, and her voice cracked a bit. "I just really love her style. It can be so unique." What was she saying? She hated Britney Spears!_

"_Yeah," Noel agreed, handing her a cup. He still had that same smile on his face. "Drink up."_

_Gazing up into Noel's blue eyes, Aria swallowed her nervousness and insecurities and gulped down the entire cup in three seconds flat. _

_She instantly regretted it, though. A burning sensation she'd never felt before slithered down her throat, and she coughed at the foreign feeling. "What—" She coughed. "—_is _this?"_

"_It's punch!" Noel shouted over the pounding music. His expression was innocent enough, but then a smirk replaced his concerned face. "With alcohol."_

"_Alcohol?" Aria sputtered. Her nerves had started to unwind and she already felt a bit calmer, but wasn't it illegal for them to be doing this?_

_Noel ignored her comment and took her arm. "Come on," he said. "I know the perfect place to go to."_

_As Aria hiccupped, she let Noel drag her to a door, where Alison and the others were waiting rather uncomfortably. Alison took the knob and opened the closet, gesturing for them to go inside. "It's game night," she said. "And you guys just won a round of Seven Minutes in Heaven!"_

_Aria glanced at her other friends, all squirming around and looking uncertainly at Ali. It was obvious they'd asked her beforehand if it was a bad idea. But Aria, whose head was buzzing, only shrugged her shoulders. "Okay," she hiccupped._

_The closet was dark and no one bothered to turn on a light. Before Alison completely closed the door, she winked at Aria, expecting her gratitude later. "Have fun, you two."_

_It was completely silent. Then, Aria wrinkled her nose and commented, "It's dark in here."_

"_Yeah," Noel said, and she felt his hand on her shoulder. "I know."_

_Without her ability to see, Aria wasn't aware of Noel's lips swooping down to capture hers, and as soon as he did she didn't feel the fireworks. Instead, she felt like it was wrong. _

_She pulled away. "Noel," she grumbled. "Stop."_

"_Come on, Aria," he said. "It's only for seven minutes. Then we can win our bet."_

_Aria felt frozen in place, too shocked to push Noel off as he started kissing the corner of her mouth. Whimpering, she pushed away again. "What bet?"_

"_Alison said she'll give us both five bucks if we make it through Seven Minutes in Heaven." A moment of silence passed, and Noel's tone was now that of confusion. "Didn't she…tell you?"_

_Eye twitching, Aria reached for the door handle in the dark and pried it open. Right away she was met by Alison arguing with Spencer. "You're paying him _money_?" Aria squeaked, her eyes filling with tears. She couldn't believe she was stupid enough to believe it was _real_._

_Spencer noted Aria's disheveled appearance and put a comforting hand on her shoulder. "Are you okay, sweetie?" Noel came dashing out of the closet awkwardly and ran away in a cloud of dust the moment Alison handed him his award._

"_No," Aria spat. "Alison just paid Noel to make out with me."_

"_We're sorry, Aria, we didn't know—," Emily began, but Aria cut her off._

"_Yeah, you're sorry. But you could have stopped it." Shoving Alison, she stormed out of the house and sprinted home, collapsing on her bed and sobbing into her pillow._

_Her heart felt like it was broken into a million pieces. And it was all Alison's fault._

It was true that Noel was Aria's first love. But that was the last real encounter they'd had, and she wasn't interested in him at all anymore. Now that she'd gotten rid of her pink hair, sprouted a couple inches, and grown into a more womanly form, she wasn't going to let an old middle school crush get to her.

As Ezra droned on about their reading assignment for the night, Aria poked Alison in the back and hissed, "Maybe this is your way of saying sorry, but it's not going to work."

"Honey," Alison whispered, "it'll be fine. If he asks you, just say no."

"Alison—" But she was interrupted by a very familiar voice.

"Miss Montgomery?" Ezra asked. There was a quiver of something in his voice that only Aria could detect. "Is there something you would like to say to the class?"

Aria shrunk back in her chair, blushing furiously. The whole class she'd been avoiding his eyes, afraid she'd be sucked into them and just lose it. "No," she squeaked. "Nothing."

The bell rang and everyone jumped out of their seats and flew out the door as Ezra reminded them of their homework before slipping out of the room himself, probably just as uncomfortable as Aria was. Alison didn't say anything, just smirked, and left the room, Emily and Hanna following her like moths to a flame while blabbering about how dreamy Noel was.

Only Spencer remained. "I'm sorry Alison did that," she apologized. "It must bring up bad memories."

"Yeah." Aria could feel herself choking up: her mom still had the burden of the divorce after _four freaking years_ of Byron being gone, she was forbidden to be with Ezra, and now Alison was on her tail

People would have thought Alison getting a true, honest date for her friend was a way of apologizing, but it wasn't. In fact, Alison just got crueler with age.

…

After school that day, Aria dragged herself home mumbling and groaning, weighed down by Alison and Ezra. Slamming the back door behind her, she cried, "Mom, I'm home!"

"Hi, sweetie," Ella greeted her warmly, veggie burgers sizzling on the grill and a dish towel drying a glass in her hand. "How was school?"

"Mom, I have to ask you something," Aria said seriously, her head pounding and fingers twitching. Ever since the memory of Ali bribing Noel resurfaced, she couldn't get a disturbing thought escape her head. Ella seemed baffled, but Aria continued anyway. "Who told you about Dad's affair? Was it Dad?"

Ella blinked, dumbfounded. "I thought you knew," she stammered. "It was your friend Alison."

A cold wave of something unexplainable, something maybe of dread and anger, passed through Aria's body, making her numb to the core. She sniffled and started to twitch all over. To keep her composure she looked down at her hands. "W-what?"

"Alison told me," she explained while setting a dry dish down. "She said she was with you when you saw it, and that you asked her to tell me because you were afraid to."

Without saying a single word, Aria fled up the stairs despite her mother's concerned questions. She slammed her bedroom door furiously and picked up her phone and saw that—who else?—_Alison_ was calling. Declining the call, she typed as quickly as her shaking fingers would let her.

_I can't believe you never told me,_ she said. _If you were smart you would stay away._

Then she threw her phone, a hoodie, and a book in a bag, stuffed her feet in her most comfortable pair of shoes, and ran out of the house and into her car, driving away.

…

What was she doing here?

It was stupid of her to come, but she didn't know where else to go. Her friends had been texting her all night, alarmed at the text Aria had sent Ali. If they were even her friends; more like Alison's dolls. And being at home reminded her of what Alison had destroyed, and she couldn't handle that.

So she came here, to the apartment complex where she would have spent her second or third date with Ezra, in front of the door marked "3B."

Knocking apprehensively, Aria sniffled as she tugged her sleeves down over her elbows and wiped at her dripping nose. When he answered, a hopeful glint overtook her eyes and she melted. "Ezra" was all she was able to say.

"Aria?" he said incredulously. Nervously he glanced back and forth down the hallway. "What are you doing here?"

Instead of answering, she gestured to his apartment. "Can I come in?"

It was a rash move and Ezra knew it, but the attraction and concern he felt toward the young woman in front of him controlled his feet. Swiftly he moved aside so she could come in.

It was everything Aria imagined it would be. French movie posters covered the wall, there was an old-fashioned typewriter propped up next to his desk, and a large collection of classic movies were lined up on a shelf. There was a calming sense to the whole ensemble, and Aria felt her tense shoulders droop. It was so perfect and everything she wanted in her own future apartment.

"Nice place," she said simply at peace before turning around to face him. "I'm sorry," she apologized. "For barging in like this, but…" Her eyes watered. "I have nowhere else to go."

Bravely Ezra took a step closer to her, aching to pull her into his arms and comfort her. For someone he knew so little of the connection was strong—and still very much intact. "Why? What happened?" he whispered. His voice was so soft, so caring, Aria had to hold back a sob.

"Can we just be here for a moment instead of there?" she asked, voice cracking. Cutting loose the chains of the law Ezra felt so heavily coiled around his heart, he closed the distance between them and wrapped his sturdy arms around her weak, tiny body.

Burying her face into his shoulder, Aria couldn't have felt more at ease than when she was with him. "I can't stay away from you."

Ezra readjusted his position so that his chin was propped up on her head. There was a window on the other side of the room, and he could see their reflections perfectly in the glass. Nothing looked wrong with the picture. In fact, it felt so _right._

"Yeah," he whispered as he tightened his grip. "I can't stay away from you either."

* * *

**I swear Ezria's the end of me. After a whole half season of them being officially apart and Jake interfering and all this blab about Ezra and A, I just couldn't stand them NOT being together! So there, our favorite couple is no longer broken up in this story...and the fun for Alison can officially begin. Wish Ezria luck, readers.**


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